Perfect Maple Sunday

Top good-quality vanilla ice cream with maple syrup.

Maple Pumpkin Bread

Developed by Karen Fortin of Carman Brook Farm

• 1-1/2 cups Grade B Maple Syrup
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 3 cups mashed pumpkin (I often use squash)
• 4-1/2 cups flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1-1/2 tsp cloves
• 1-1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

Beat syrup, sugar, eggs, and oil together; add pumpkin. Add dry ingredients. Bake at 300º for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Test with cake tester. Makes 3 standard loaves or 5 to 6 small loaves. This bread freezes excellently.

Vermont Pork Chops

As featured in The Original Vermont Maple Cookbook, Second Edition, published by Vermont Maple Foundation (www.vermontmaple.org)

• 6 pork chops
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• Flour to thicken gravy (optional)

Preheat oven to 400º. Lightly brown pork chops in a small amount of oil. Place chops in flat baking dish. Combine other ingredients over low heat and pour over chops. Cover and bake 45 minutes, basting occasionally. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer. Remove chops, keep warm, thicken sauce with flour (if desired), and serve over chops.